Coptica 15, 2016

A Little Known Episode in Coptic-Roman Relations: An Unpublished Letter by Anba Yūsāb, Bishop of Jirjā and Akhmīm (18 th c.) Lois Farag This study examines the theological letter that Anba Yūsāb (1735-1826), bishop of Jirjā and Akhmīm, wrote on behalf of Pope John XVIII (r. 1769- 1796), the 107 th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to Bartholomew, a Catholic monk and envoy of the Roman papacy, in response to Rome’s proposal that the Coptic Orthodox Church submit to the Pope of Rome. After explaining the significance of this letter, describing the manuscript used for this research, and providing the historical context within which this letter was written, the paper examines the content of the letter and the theology of Anba Yūsāb and concludes with the theological contribution of this bishop. The text of the letter is included in the Appendix. 1. The Significance of this Letter Anba Yūsāb is one of the last Coptic theologians educated under the non- Islamic, non-secular tutelage system. When Muḥammad c Alī (1805-48) began the process of modernizing Egypt, he formed an educational system emulating that of the West. Pope Cyril IV (r. 1854-1861), “the Father of Reform,” followed suit and established Coptic schools based on a similar westernized educational pattern. 1 We do not have a sample “curriculum” of the tutelage system, but we know that it gave many of the privileged Copts an educational edge through which they obtained prominent government positions where they were in control of the Egyptian financial system. The Copts developed this tutelage system before the Islamic invasion of Egypt in the seventh century and afterwards guarded it well, handing it down through families because it secured their livelihood. Anba Yūsāb’s literary production indicates he was a beneficiary of such tutelage which suggests his privileged social status. With the modernization efforts of Muḥammad c Alī, the Copts lost this educational edge and the financial monopoly. Another consequence was the loss of certain theological traditions, of which Anba Yūsāb is the last representative. The article will demonstrate his good knowledge of Greek language and rhetoric and his acquaintance with patristic writers, including Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria. Such knowledge represents the remnants of the Coptic tutelage education

1 Paul Sedra, From Mission to Modernity: Evangelicals, Reformers and Education in Nineteenth Century Egypt (London: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd, 2011).

Coptica 15 (2016), 1 – 28.